At just under 10,000 acres, the state park in Goblin Valley, Utah is a lot smaller than Utah’s famous Mighty Five national parks, so you can see the whole thing in a day or so. A tour of Goblin Valley will take about two or three hours, but we recommend taking a full day to explore the unique and unearthly landscape of the park. Goblin Valley State Park is home to thousands of mushroom-shaped rock formations called hoodoos, the highest concentration of these formations in the world, which gives it a landscape unlike any other. Here are a few locations you should make sure to see before you leave:
Goblin Overlook: This spot is the gateway to the rest of the park and features spectacular views of the hoodoos that dot the landscape of the valley. From the overlook, you can find trails to Carmel Canyon or the Goblin’s Lair, or you can just pick a direction and explore.
Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel: This stone wall has a well-preserved selection of gorgeous pictographs from the ancient Fremont people who lived in Utah for hundreds of years before the Navajo and Ute people arrived. It also features several pictographs in the Barrier Canyon style, left behind thousands of years ago by an unidentified culture.
Little Wild Horse Canyon: While the Goblin’s Lair is the most famous slot canyon in the park, Little Wild Horse is a lot easier for beginner-level hikers. If you want to experience a slot canyon but don’t feel up for scrambling your way through the Goblin’s Lair, we highly recommend checking out Little Wild Horse Canyon first.
To make the most of your trip to Goblin Valley, check out our Goblin Valley Utah Self-Guided Driving Tour, or you can sign up for Action+ to gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.
